To respond to nuclear, biological, or chemical emergencies, government agencies (i.e., local, state, and federal) must be adequately prepared to mitigate the hazards to the public and the environment in a timely manner. The clean-up of potentially toxic residue from terrorist events, such as the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), is of particular concern.
Radiological devices such as nuclear weapons and “dirty bombs” represent an increasingly dangerous threat to society, particularly when they contain materials with long radiological half-lives. To protect public health and safety, radiological materials released from such devices must be quickly and effectively contained. Once released, radiological materials present a decontamination problem because these materials may be deposited on surfaces of buildings, equipment, vehicles, and the ground.
Biological agents are typically particulate in nature and present a significant hazard long after an attack through formation of secondary aerosols. If inhaled, these aerosols may be particularly hazardous to humans and animals. Furthermore, biological agents may adhere to surfaces or be repositioned in the underlying environment and remain hazardous if disturbed. Thus, biological materials present a continuing decontamination problem when deposited on surfaces of buildings, equipment, vehicles, or the ground.
Chemical warfare agents include many classes of persistent (i.e., long-lasting) and semi-persistent agents. As a consequence, chemical warfare agents may pose a continuing hazard when deposited on surfaces of buildings, equipment, vehicles, or the ground.
Nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination may also occur due to accidents, forces of nature, or even routine use. For example, earthquakes and storms may pose risks to nuclear power plants or to chemical processing facilities. Uncontrolled releases of hazardous materials may endanger nearby and distant communities. Public health and safety may dictate removal or treatment of such hazardous materials.
Some compositions and methods for decontaminating surfaces are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,846,888, issued Dec. 7, 2010, assigned to the Assignee of the present application, and entitled “Long Lasting Decontamination Foam,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Some methods disclosed therein include forming foam compositions having a surfactant and a gelatin, and with a pH of less than about 6. Contaminated surfaces may be treated with the foam to remove the contaminants.